Random photos

Here are some photos I thought were cute, but didn't really have enough story to go with them. Maybe they're better suited for facebook, but I wanted to get them out there anyway.

The kids got their faces painted at a fundraiser event at the Nutty Brown Cafe. Luckily, the guy could do both of their favorites, Batman and a puppy!




Scout's hair after the pigtails come out - no enhancements.


A sweet outfit.


Eating the first baby carrots from our garden. Scout learned the green part isn't so tasty.



Our first and only watermelon from our garden.



Awesome kitchen band


Pool days...


which sometimes get a little cold.



Scout desperate for Daddy's attention while he plays the Wii with Garrett. She climbed up on her own.

Scout learning how to wink. Do I look like that when I do it?

Meeting Elmo...



and dancing with him.


And the grossest pic of all... Garrett licking the chocolate off of Scout's fingers after a messy sample at Costco.

Closer friends

Our good friends the Reaves also moved closer to us. We're now just down the street from each other, which is great, since our kids get along well (the adults do, too). They found a great house with a huge yard adjacent to the greenbelt. We couldn't be happier that they're near us, and here are some photos of a rainy afternoon spent together. They all look dry in this photo, but they didn't stay that way for very long!

My parents are Austinites!

Well, not exactly, but they bought a house! We're so excited to have them closer to us, and the kids are really anxious for them to make the complete move. There's been a lot of discussion and planning leading up to this, and we're happy they finally found a place they love. It's a cute house with not much work needed. They have a huge deck out back with a large space underneath, which Garrett has already named the Batcave. We love you, Grandma and Lito, and we can't wait for you to be permanently right around the corner! Here's a photo of the kids and me on the steps of their deck.

Museums, roofs, farms, trains and nurseries

We made a lot of memories this summer. Some of our favorite places to visit are Austin's Children's Museum, where we recently learned about wind power and healed sick animals,

the playscape on the roof of Whole Foods, where we enjoy yummy pizza and peanut butter smoothies,

the Little Buckaroo Ranch, where we went on mini hayrides, brushed ponies, fed pigs and goats, received goldfish kisses, watched pony tricks, and roasted marshmallows (among other fun animal experiences),

Zilker Park, where we love climbing on the fire engine and sharing train rides with friends,

and our favorite organic nursery The Natural Gardener, where we buy all of our plants and love to visit the donkeys and chickens, climb the trees, swing on the swing, and pose in the flowers. We love this city!

Spring Program and Pre-K Graduation

Garrett's preschool always ends the year with a Spring Program, during which each class sings one or two songs they learned that year, and they play a slideshow of photos taken over the year. The kids also work hard to create the art that they use for the backdrop on stage. It's a really sweet performance and walk down memory lane for all of the parents. Scout loved waving at her big brother and her friend Brooklyn.

Garrett's Pre-K Graduation was so precious, and, yes, I did tear up during it. They each walked down the aisle in their little graduation caps, accepted a diploma and Bible and then got back up as a class to sing a sweet song about Jesus! We finished with a reception, and received some nice photo gifts from the teachers. It was a great year for Garrett, and I'm so thankful for the loving teachers we've had these couple of years at Noah's Ark. It's hard to believe that these preschool days are behind us.

Mother's Day

My kids and hubby were super sweet to me on Mother's Day, as always. I got some great gifts (Shaun of the Dead DVD - thanks, Ryan!), flowers, cards, cupcakes, and a fantastic lunch at Mandola's. Garrett's school had a nice Mother's Day tea, which was precious. Thank you to my two sweet kiddos and my wonderful husband for making the weekend a special one. I'm so happy to be your mommy, Garrett and Scout. I couldn't imagine two sweeter kids!